How to Purify Water During an Emergency

While it is best to store water beforehand, you can purify water several ways.

Things You'll Need

• Pots
• Small Plastic Containers
• Paper Or Plastic Cups

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Instructions

Boiling

• 1

  Fill a pot with water.

• 2

  Let any particles in the water settle to the bottom of the pot, or filter them through a paper towel or clean cloth.

• 3

  Bring water to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes.

• 4

  Pour the water back and forth between two clean containers to restore oxygen, thereby improving taste.

• 5

  Let the water cool before drinking.

Disinfecting

• 6

  Fill a clean plastic container with water.

• 7

  Let any particles in the water settle to the bottom of the container, or filter them through a paper towel or clean cloth.

• 8

  Add 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water.

• 9

  Stir the water and let it stand for 30 minutes.

• 10

  Check for a slight bleach odor. If there is none, add another 16 drops of bleach and let the water stand another 15 minutes.

Distilling

• 11

  Fill a cooking pot half full of water.

• 12

  Let any particles in the water settle to the bottom of the pot, or filter them through a paper towel or clean cloth.

• 13

  Tie a paper cup to the handle of the pot's lid so that it hangs right-side-up when the lid is upside-down. Be sure that the cup is not trailing into the water.

• 14

  Boil the water for 20 minutes. The water vapor will be mostly free of impurities.

• 15

  Condense back to water, and drip from the lid into the cup.